Adjustable clamp.



ADJUSTABLE CLAMP.

AEPLIGATION FILED AUG. 5, 1912.

1,128,593. Patented Feb. 16,1915.

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LOUIS FORT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ADJ USTABLE- CLAMP.

Application filed August 5, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS FORT, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Adjusting- Clamps, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art maymake and use the same.

The invention relates to adjusting clamps and more particularly to aclamp having special features of construction, arrangement and mode ofoperation whereby it is particularly desirable for use with flexibleconnectors such as are ordinarily used for suspending devices such, forinstance, as are lamps. Its uses, of course, are not confined to thesuspension of arc lamps, but is referred to in connection therewith. Itsvarious advantages are employed with great efficiency.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple form of clamp whichwill be automatic in its action and to which and from which the flexibleconnector may be inserted or removed without liability of straining orinjuring the movable jaws.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the clamp.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the clamp shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is across-sectional view through the clamp on the line w-a of Fig. 1, theparts being in inserted position as compared with the showing of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a casing having abracket member 2 by which the device may be secured at any desiredposition of adjustment. The bracket portion consists of cars 3 and 4:,preferably formed integral with the casing 1. As illustrated, areinforce 1 is cast upon the casing and provides a suitable support forpivots or rivets 5, 6, which serve as the bearings for jaws 7, 8.

As illustrated in the bottom plan view of Fig. 2, the casing' 1, has acentral opening at one side as at 9, into which the abutting faces ofthe jaws 7 and 8 project, and the side walls or skirting flange 10, 11,and 12, depend from the top portion of the casing 1 forming a closurefor the jaws, in conjunction with a bottom plate or cover 13. The casingis so formed that it may be readily cast without the use of cores and tosupport the bottom plate 13 firmly in place lugs 1d Specification ofLetters Patent.

PatenteolFeb. 16, 1915.

Serial No. 713,318.

are provided adjacent to the curved dependent walls 15, which serve as aguide to the opening 9 and jaws 7 and 8, and lugs 16 are cast in theside walls in such position as to form an abutment for the rear end ofthe bottom plate and also provide stops against which the extended arms17 a brace to prevent rearward movement.

thereof.

The jaws 7 and 8 are arranged upon the pivots 5 and 6 and are preferablyformed with substantially wide faces 21, which are curved and terminatein semi-circular curves 22, so related as to form a central opening 23,within which a cord or flexible connector may rest. The outer curvedfaces 7 and 8 are so formed that the cord may be pressed inward betweenthe jaws until it reaches the central opening 23, the jaws being movableto permit the introduction or removal of the cord. Attention isparticularly called to the arrangement of the jaws and the dispositionof their curved outer ends with reference to those portions of theskirting flange, designated 15, which bound the outer portion or mouthof the flaring opening, 9, into the casing. The ends of the jaws extendinto the casing and lie behind the ends of the portions 15 of the sidewall or skirting flange, which form complete guards for the jaws as wellas guides to direct the rope or cable to the jaws. Thus when a heavywire or other cable is used it may be easily forced or guided into theflaring opening 9, between the extended portions of the casing, and canonly come into contact with the exposed faces of the jaws a safedistance back from their ends. There is no possibility whatever of thecable encountering the outside edges of the jaws, a contingency thatwould tend to displace and break them and as these jaws can only beengaged by the cable on their contiguous curved faces, they areseparated against the tension of the spring 24, and there is practicallyno liability of injuring or displacing the jaws. The abutments 16, serveas stops for the jaws and means for properly centering them, so thatupon the release of the cable the jaws the meeting faces thereof.together with such force as to cause breakage or disintegration of themetal. The wide faces of the jaws are separated to movebetween thecasing and the cover plate without binding or cramping upon theirpivots.

These jaws are held together by a spring 24 which is under compressionand is held in place by lugs 25 upon the inner opposed faces of the arms17 and 1 8.

The casing l, with its dependent sides and ends forms a completeprotection for the moving parts or levers 7 and 8, against snow, sleetorrain and the bottom plate 13, when in place, gives a complete closureand ppo t fo the ame PflI e et 0 pivots 5 and '6 pass through the upperportion of the casing and the bottom plate, which'is also reinforced asat 26.

The operation of the device is apparent. When secured in any givenposition, the cord or flexible connector which is partially illustratedin Fig. 3 and is intended to have an abutment or stop on its lower end(said op no bein us t d) m y b ve into the clamp by forcing it throughthe curved jaws until it occupies a position in the central opening 23,whereupon the stop will prevent-the cord pulling through said opening,but permits a ready removal from the opening by an outward pull. In lieuof a specific separable stop element or abutment secured to the cordbelow the clamp, he 0 r may, of ourse, be a ed-s knot servingas anabutment to prevent pulling the cord through the clamp beyond certainlimits. The device is particularly eflicacious in conjunction withdevices such as are lamps, where it is required to raise and lower them.In such uses, the device serves to prevent breakage and improperadjustments due to shrinkage and expansion of the flexible connector; Itis common'practiceto suspend arc lamps from an arm having a clutchdevice and contact devices for the lamp; The flexible connectors areordinarilyused for raising'and lowering the lamp into and out ofengagement with the clutch and its contacts. here flexible connectorsare employed and secured to alcleat or a fixture upon thepole, it notunfrequently happens that changes in atmospheric conditions varies thelength of the connector. Provided the device is fclosehauled andshrinkage occurs, with the end or the flexible connector secured, undue,

tract without placing strain upon the lamp 7 or appurtenant parts.Furthermore, it servesa very convenient means of adjustment for suchdevices. The cord maybe readily disengaged from the clamping jaws,

thus permitting the lamp to be lowered and may be just'as engagedtherewith.

It 1s to be understood that the device is not limited in its applicationto are lamps,

but, obviously may be used conjunction with flexible connectors to suitthe gencies of any particular case.

What I claim as y inventlon anddesire to se ur by Letters st m is 1 Acable clamp cornprisinga easing into which extends from one of itss'idesa flaring opening, the casing being provided with a depending skirtingflange formedwith portions that bound on opppsite sides the'mouth.

of t e aid open a d a pa o s i held, cableclamping jaws supported inthecasing, the outer ends o f the said jaws ex-Y tending behind the ends ofthe portions-of the skirting flangethat bound the mouth of the saidopening, substantially and for the purposes setforth." j 2. A 'cableclamp comprising a hollowcasing open at the bottom and into whichextends from one ofiits sides a flaring open;

ing, the casing {being provided with ado pending skirtingflange formedwith "plor;

tions that bound on [opposite sides the mouth of the said epening, and apair of leverssupported in the casing and formed with cable clampingjaws that extend into" the said opening, the outerends of'the said theskirting fl nge that bound the'inouth of the opening, afremov'able platesecured, to the casing and partially closing the bottom of, thencasing,the rear ends of the said levers extending beyond the rear edge the"plate by t ey are e p s nd Shi sholding the jaws togetherarrangedbetween e sa d r a ends 9' the le WVitnesses: I

FRED W.'HU1IAND, MAURICE J. SHu'A;

Copies or this patent maybe obtained torfiye cents each, addressingJonlnni ssioner or Patents,

1' i Washington, 1) G.

aws extending behind the end p'ortions of .LQUIS FORT-1

